Gas-producer.



J. B. NAU.

GAS PRODUCER.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. a, 1912.

1,038,6 1 1. Patented July 23, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fig/.IH

l I3 1 I3 J. B. NAU. GAS PRODUCER.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 8, 1912. 1,033,61 1 Patented July 23, 1912.v

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIT/VESSES:

JOHN B. NAU, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAS-PRODUCER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 23, 1,912.

Application le April 8, y1912. `Serial No. 689,249.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHNv B. NAU, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas- Producers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gas producers, but more particularly to gas producer devices having mainly for purpose the loosening up of the ash and fuel bed, the removal ofthe ashes from and the introduction of combustion air into the loosened up part of gas producers in general, but in a more particular way of bituminous coal treating gas producers of the downdraft4 or partly downdraft style, whose successful operation is often endangered bythe packing and the accumulation of the ashes and clinkers in the ashbed of the lower part of the combuslor in the treatment of other grades of coal or gas producing combustibles. v

The presentappliances, meant to fill in some respects the same purpose as those described in my application, Serial No. 680409 of February 28, 1912, Work on a diilerent principle and are of a design illustrated on the two accompanying sheets of drawings, where- Figure I is a vertical cross-section on line I I of Fig. III., Fig. II. a vertical crosssection on line II--II of Fig. IV., Fig. III. a. top plan view of Fig. I; Fig. IV. a horizontal cross-section on line IV-IV of Fig. II; Fig. V. a vertical cross-section of the n'iechanical poker, ash-removing and air-introducing apparatus, made on line V-V of Fig. VII; Fig. VI. a side elevation ofthe same apparatus; Fig. VII. a top plan view of Fig. V., Fig. VIII. a horizontal crosssection on line VllI.-VIII. of Fig. Vl. and Fig. IX. an arrangement with one single ashpit and one ash discharge opening.

In the drawings where I have shown the application of the device on a double combustion zone gas producer, 1 represents an.-l

iron shell, inclosing the upper part, 2 an iron shell inclosing the ashpit of the producer; 3 a combustion or gas producing chamber inclosed in walls 4 carried by linte'ls 4a; 5 is an ashpit of one or more` compartments united above the operating chamber 6, from which it is separated by partitions 21; l7 is a coal hopper of cast iron or cast steel, which together with twyer 8 and top plate 9 incloses a 'coal distillation chamber 10, having coal charging openings 11 normally closed 'by covers 12 or otherwise. Surrounding chamber 10 is a gas chamber 13 inclosed by walls 14, and having gas outlet 15. Gas-ports 16 placed conveniently around the circumference in wall 4 lead` t-he gas from chamber 3 to gas collector 17 connected by gas pipe 18 and port 19 with gas chamber 13. A stationary grate 20, surrounding the hereinafter described poking and ashpushing apparatus and resting on roof 21a of operating' chamber or space 6, or on other suitable supports, is placedl in the upper part of ashpit 5. An annular free space 22 between grate 2O and lintel 4a will constitute `the necessary and most suitable means to evacuate the ashes from chamber 3 to ashpit 5. The bot-tom of the ashpit or of each ashpitv compartment here partly formed of plates 2?), is provided with a suiicient slope in the right direction to automatically vlead to t-he ash discharge openings 24 all ashes -and clinkers pushed off grate 20 through openings 22. Openings 24 may be closed with a. door or cover 25 or maybe continued outside by an additional pipe 26 of such a shape that when damper 27 is raised, the ashes are discharged automatically into a Water tank 28,A in which the level of the water is normally kept high enough to water seal the lower open end of pipe 26. Open' ings 79, normally closed by doors or covers 80, are placed in sufficient number and in convenient places around shell2 to clear, if necessary, the annular opening 22 of obstructing-clinkers. Other poke holes 31 may be placed in convenient places to poke gas producing chamber 3.

' The poking and the loosening up of the ash and fuel bed in the combustion or gas producing chamber and the automatic re- 'moval of the ashl and clinkers by pushing them in an outward direction from'the center' of the prducer through the open annular space between the producer wall and stationary grate into the ashpit below is obtained by means of a centrally located poking and ashpushing apparatus, which in order to obtain better control of the operation, comprises two principal independent unconnected pieces, of which the one 29 is a drum with its top terminated preferably by a lint or conical surface of any desired slope to form what l call the ash table, while the other one 30 forms an ashpushing device located immediately above 29, whose top surface Vit fits suitably. lt must be borne in mind thatI these two pieces, structurally independent of each other and disconnected, should be each of such a shape and size as will suit its particular function, and that both should co-act in -a manner suchn as to constitute the principal organs to 1) push ash and clinlrers from the center of the producer toward the open space 22. This result can be obtained either by making both pieces simultaneously revoluble each in any desired direction and with any desired speed, or by making only one of them revoluble, provided, however, that the final result. of the relative movement, or as the case may be, of the relative speed, of the two pieces in regard to each other in the first case, or of the revolvingV movement of the one piece in the second case bethe same as if the eccentric surface 3l of the cams alone `were sweeping over the ash table in the direction of t-hearrow; poke and loosen up the ash and 'coal bed above. rlhis poking can be obtained by either the independent raising and lowering of any one or the joint raising and lowering of both pieces. In my 'design l have chosen to obtain these two results in a practical and efficient manner by making one piece alone revoluble and by raising mechanically one piece, allowing the second piece to be raised lautomatically and simultaneously with the first one.

The apparatus is composed essentially of a central column or standpipe 32 fastened to the bottom of the operating tunnel or chamber 6 and extending .with its open top through the roof of the tunnel into the producer, a hollow shaft 33 loosely surrounding said standpipe but extending higher up, an ashpushing device 30, provided with one or more cams with eccentric ashpushing surfaces 3l, the lower rim of these cams fitting the ashtable of drum 29 placed immediately below the ashpushing device, and their eX- t-reme length being so as not to extend farther out and preferably less than the outside diameter of the drum 29. rlhe drawing shows that l have made them somewhat shorter. Drum 29, loosely placed around shaft 33, is open below and has an inner concentric cylindrical addition 34, which, when the drum lis in its lower position, rests on the cylindrical extension 35 of the roof of the tunnel. The upper end of the drumis terminated by a horizontal face 36, reaching to within short distance of the lower horizontalface 37 of the ashpushing device. A suitable number of holes 38 are lprovided in cylinder 34 for the purpose hereinafter dis closed. v l' Shaft 33 has an enlarged circular rim 39 'the shaft around stand pipe 32.

with holes 40, placed within cylinder 34. The horizontal t-op 41 of said rim is placed within a short distance of lower horizontal face 42 of the top part lof the ashtable. The shaft is capped by a hollow crown 43, bolted or otherwise fastened to the top, having air holes 44 and a lower flange 45 partly extending over device 30, which thereby it holds in place. The drum 29 is prevented from revolving by means of suitable lguides 46a placed in grooves 47 a of the surrounding grate. These guides may be left out. rlhe lower end of the shaft, somewhat reduced in diameter,' is long enough to allow of its being raised sliding through a worm gear 46 held in place by suitable means, for instance by angle irons 47 engaging on either side into a hub of lthe gear, which latter is loosely keyed on the shaft by means of a key 49, and is acted on by a worm 50 on a shaft 51, which receives its motion in any convenient manner not shown here.

The raising of the hollow shaft is realized by means of a ring 52 loosely placed under y rlhis ring is'provided with'suitable branches 53, acted on either by air, steam or hydraulic cylinders 54, which receive or evacuate the powengiving air, steam or water through pipe 55, Any other lifting appliance could naturally be used.

Stand pipe 32,' connected below with a pipe 56, is used to deliver' air and steam to the lower combustion zone. The air delivered to the stand pipe may be partly discharged. directly into this zone through the holes 44 in cap 43, and partly under the grate through holes 4() and 38 as well as holes 57 in the lower grate, from where it enters the ashpit and the gas producing chamber above. Instead of introducing the air through this standpipe, itinay be introduced into theashpit by any other suitable means, such as, for instance, through doors 79 or ash discharge openings 24 or through other specially devised appliances. But the introduction of the air through the cap above the poking and ash removing apparatus is considered particularlyy advantageous, especially indowndraft or double zone producers, because it introduces the air into the cent-ral part of `the producer, where 4it will enter directly into the part loosened up vby the poker, and from where it will have to traverse the fuel containing space before itcan reach the gas collector 1'?.

From the description it resultsthat when raising shaft 33 with its connected ash pushing device 30, drum 29 is raised simultaneously. If the ashpushing device would lift alone, ash and clinkers would naturally tumble on the ash table below the ashpushing earns, there to form an unavoidable lie obstruction that. would edectually prevent *the` subsequent lowering of the ashrpushing -the drum, if as in my construction, no powerother thanthe weight of the apparatus and the column. of material above it is used tolower the apparatus. With the use of special power toproduce this, the cams.`

might extend beyond the drum. The space below the drum in the ashpit should also be kept free from obstructions. In my design it vwill be noticed, that owing to the peculiar shape of the bottom of the ashpit, no obstructions from falling coal or clinker1 will ever be found under the drum. The latter is neither limited in its shape nor its size. When round for instance, it could be made the inside diameter oflintel 4, withl enough` clearance for its clear operations.

Brieiiy, the operation is as follows: Power is communicated to shaft 51 whereby 'ashpushing device 30 is revolved and pushes ashes `and clinkers over the ashtable underneath and the surrounding grate from thecenter towardthe circular opening 22, there to be dropped into the ashpit and evacuated through the ash discharge openings. When poking is required, power is admitted t-o cylinders 54, shaft 33 will raise device 30' and also carry upwardly drum 29. When evacuating' the power from the cylinders, the whole 'apparatus will descend under its own weightv and the weight .of the ash and coal above. y

The operating -chamber v(i in some gas producers could be left out. This could be done with a double zone gas producer of the kind illustrated in the drawing, where air is admitted through twyer 8 to the upper vcombustion zone and through either standpipe 32 or byany of the other means mentioned to the Ilower combustion zone above grate 20. Under the conditions, ashpit 5 normally containing no gas but air at a relatively low temperature, the mechanical means for the operation ofthe ashpushing and lpoking apparatus could be located in the a hpit itself' below the protecting roof 21a s ieldingl them from coal or clinkers falling from the grate above. This could easily, be realized by keeping the-roof 21, butremovving the side partitions 21 of the operating chamber 6. Whether there be a separate operating chamber or only a protecting roof,

in both cases, this protecting roofA` would exist. This roof could easily be fastened to the shell 2.

i' What vI claim is: p l. In a as -producer the combination with a gas pr ucing chamber of, an ash pushingl and poking apparatus located' centrally in the lower part of said producer for work to be performed in the lower 'part of said chamber, said apparatus ,comprising an ash pushing device. and a drum with an ashtable immediately below said device, structurally disconnected, one of said lpieces (drum and device) being' revoluble ina direction and at a speed such as to produce in co-action'with the other piece the pushing of t-he ash from the center toward the circumference lwhen revolving, means to revolve one of said pieces, means to lift oneof said pieces, and means to make the other of said pieces lift and lower jointly with said one piece, substantially as described.

2. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber of, an ash pushing and poking apparatus located centrally in the lower part of said producer for work to be performed in the lower part of said chamber, said apparatus comprising an ash pushing device and a drum Wit-hl an ashta'ble immediately below said device, structurally disconnected, one of said two pieces (drum and device) being non-revoluble, and the other revoluble in a direction such asto produce the pushing'of the ashes fromv the center of said chamber toward'its circumference when revolving, means to revolve said revoluble piece, means tolift one of said pieces, and means to make the other of said pieces lift and lower jointly with said one piece, substantially asy described.

3. In a gas producer the combination withy l a gas producing 'chamber and an ashpit of, a centrally located ashpushing and poking apparatus operating `in the lowerpart of said chamber, a separate operating chamber, saidv apparatus comprising a revoluble ashpushingdevice connected with -a .shaft extending downwardly into said operating chamber, and anindependent normally non-revolving drum-,with an ashtable, loosely surrounding said shaft immediately under said device and ,above said operating chamber, in said operating chamber mechanical means to revolve and mechanical means to raise said shaftwith said device, and means to raise said drum simultaneously with said shaft, substantially asdescribed. Y 4. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber and an ashpit of, a centrally located ashpushing and poking ap' paratus operating in the lower part of said chamber, a separate operating chamber, saidapparatus comprising a revoluble ash-pushing device connected with a shaft extending downwardly into said opera-ting chamber,

an independent non-revoluble drum with an i motion, means to raisel said drum simultaneously with said shaft without revolvingl said drum when raised, substantially as described.

5. lira gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber oft, an ashpit having an ash discharge opening, an operating chamber separated from said ashpit by a partitiom, a centrally located ashpushing and poking apparatus operating in the lower part ci? said gas-producing chamber, and comprising an ashpushing device connected with a shattentending downwardly into said operating chamber, and an independent drum with ashtable loosely surroundingsaid shaft immediately below said ashpusliing device and above the rooliol-'said operating chamber, inside said operating chamber inechanical means to revolve and mechanical means to raise said shaft, and means to raise said drinn simultaneously with said shalt, substantially as described.

ln a gas producer the combination with agas producing chamber of, an ashpit havingl an ash discharge opening and a bottoni sloping toward said opening, a centrally located mechanically operated ashpus'hing and poking apparatus comprising, an independent revoluble ashpusliing device and imnien diately below said device a normally nonrevoluble independent drum coactingA with said device in the manner set forth, an independent stationary grate loosely surrounding said drum and leaving an open annular space between its outer rim and the walls surrounding the producer to drop the ashes from said'chamber into the pit, substan-- tially as described.

7. ln a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber of an ashpit, a separate operatingl chamber dividing said ashpit into compartments, each compartf ment having an ashdischarge opening and a bottom sloping toward said opening, a centrally located ashpushing and poking apparatus comprising an aslipushing device connected with a shaft extendingI downwardly into said operating chamber and an independent drum with ashta-ble loosely surrounding said shaft between the top of the roof or said operating chamber 'and said ashpushing device, inside said operating chamber mechanical means to revolve and mechanical means to raise' said shaft, and means to raise said drum simultaneously with said shaft, substantially as dcscribed. y

8. In a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber of, an ashpithaving an ash discharge opening in the Loeaeii shell surrounding said pit and a bottom sloping toward said opening, an independent grate separating said. pit from said chamber, a centrally located ashpushing device loosely7 surrounded by said grate and extending through said grate Jfrom the upper part or said pit to the lower part of said chamber, a downwardly extending hollow shaft connected in its top region with said device, a hollow standpipe fastened below and surrounded by said shaft, means to admitair through said standpipe into said shaft, from said shaft into said ashpushing device, and from there into said producer, and means to revolve said shat't, substantially as described.

9. in a gas producer the combination with a gas producing chamber of, an as ipit having an ash discharge opening; in the shell surrounding said pit and a bottom sloping toward said opening, independent grate separating said pit from said chamber, a poker centrally located in the lower part oit said chamber and connected to a downwardly extending" hollow shaft loosely surroundedv by said grate, a. hollow standpipe fastened below and surrounded by said shatt, means to admit air through said standpipe to said poker, and from said poker to said producer, and means to raise said poker, substantially described.

itl, ln a @as producer the combination with a gras-producing chamber and an ashpit of, a centrally located ashpushing and poking` apparatus having, an independent ashpushing" device connected with a downu wardly directed hollow shaft, and andadopcndent drinn' loosely surrounding said shaft immediately below said device and 'normally supported below, an independent stationary girate loosely surrounding said drum, a hollow upwardly extending standpipe held in place below, open on top and surrounded by said shaft, means to admit air to said standpipe and from said stand pipe to said shaft and means to admit air above said grate from said shaft to said producer, and means to admit air from said shaft throughsaid drum to said ashpit, inechanical means to revolve and mechanical means to raise said shaft, and means to jointly raise and lower said drum with said shaft, substantially as described.,

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 5th day of pril A. D., 1912.,

v JUHN B. NAU. llitnesses: B. lll. KEON, Meer l., Goss.

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